The function of a mechanical drum beating pedal apparatus is to effect the beating of a drum or other musical instruments or musical accessories by impelling the drum beater or beaters of the apparatus with the operator's foot or feet or other convenient or appropriate conveyance. A conventional drum pedal is normally comprised of a vertical support structure attached to a base structure; said base structure is attached to a musical drum instrument. Said vertical support structure normally carries a primary horizontal driveshaft carried by one or two bearings which are normally attached to said vertical support structure, which is in turn attached to a foot pedal, the heel of which is pivotally attached to the base structure and the front of the pedal is articulately attached to the driveshaft so that the horizontal driveshaft is rotated when the pedal is depressed by the operator's foot. A spring balanced return mechanism repositions the horizontal driveshaft when foot pressure is released by the operator, returning the rotated driveshaft to its original position. The drum beater is attached to said horizontal driveshaft so that, as the horizontal driveshaft is rotated by the depressed pedal, it strikes the head of the drum, and as the operator's foot pressure is released, the beater returns to its original position. The vertical support structure of a conventional drum pedal is normally comprised of two vertical support pillars, which are moulded or otherwise attached to the base structure of said pedal, but sometimes the drum pedal is comprised of one vertical pillar moulded or attached to the said base structure. Usually, neither the conventional two-pillar vertical support structure nor the conventional single-pillar support structure can be converted into a multiple-beater drum pedal apparatus without the addition of costly parts that require additional design, tooling and special manufacture. The conventional two-pillar vertical support pedal structure, in order to be converted to accept a second beater for a conventional two-beater pedal, requires the costly addition of a third support pillar so that two separated drive shafts can be operated independently. Also, this third support pillar must be designed so that it can accommodate secondary foot pedal activation from either the right or the left, depending on the requirements of the operator which would include the requirement for the operator to drive the pedal secondary pedal with the left foot if the primary pedal is played with the right foot and conversely, the requirement to drive the secondary pedal with the right foot if the primary pedal is operated by the left foot. Single vertical pillar pedals normally support and carry the horizontal driveshaft with one bearing only, creating undue stress on said bearing. The field is devoid of vertical single-pillar single-beater drum beating pedal mechanisms that easily convert to double-beater pedals. The normal incidence of single vertical tower bass pedals is found used as part of a double beater apparatus and is normally used as the secondary drive pedal with no beater capability attached.
The primary purpose of this invention, named the Modular Single-Tower Drum Pedal System, is to provide a modular solution to creating a multiplicity of pedal beater configuration choices with the fewest numbers of relatively costly cast or machined parts. It is the modularity of the single-Tower design, which has a symmetrical shape to work either from the left or the right side of the pedal base structure, and that it is attachable and detachable on either the right side or the left side or both sides of the base structure, that is the essence of this invention. Also, two single-Tower pillars, sharing a single bearing support arm, can be mounted together on one pedal platform plate to create either a double-beater pedal or a reinforced double-Tower single-beater pedal with the addition of the requisite longer single driveshaft supported by bearings at either end of said longer driveshaft. The single-beater drum pedal can be modified easily to act as the drive for a double beater pedal for either the left foot or the right foot simply by choosing whether the single-Tower support structure is attached to the left side or the right side of the base structure. The single-Tower attaches and detaches easily to and from the base structure with ordinary bolt and nut fasteners that are simple and obvious for the operator to change with a normal wrench or other basic tool of appropriate design. Furthermore, the single-Tower combined with the Bearing Support arm securely support the horizontal driveshaft with two bearings supporting said driveshaft toward the ends of the said driveshaft. Said bearings are captured within the assembly of the single-Tower support structure as a consequence of the assembly of the tower and bearing support arm. The key elements are a Tower, which mated to a Bearing Support create the single-Tower. Two Towers can be mated to a single Bearing Support to create the double beater pedal, where two beaters are supported on a pedal base structure. Key to the success of the design is the ability to mate the Bearing Support Arm to one Tower to create the single beater pedal and to mate the single Bearing Support Arm to two Towers to create the double beater pedal. Furthermore, this invention, the Single-Tower Modular Drum Pedal System, is complemented by several new and unique designs and inventions for beater holder and adjustment, drive mechanism adjustment, spring functionality and foot pedal adjustment.